New Route of the Day (26 March 2026): SAS between Copenhagen and Istanbul IST
SAS inaugurated flights between Copenhagen and Istanbul IST on Thursday 26 March. The 1,980-kilometre service will be maintained daily with the A320neo aircraft, competing directly against 24-weekly flights by Turkish Airlines.
Flight SK831 departs Copenhagen at 23:15 local time, arriving in Istanbul IST at 03:40 local time. The return service, operating as flight SK832, takes off at 04:30 local time, touching back down in the Danish capital at 06:55 local time.
What they said
Henrik Winell, Vice President of Network at SAS, said: “Aviation plays a vital role in connecting people, businesses, and societies across regions. With the launch of our new Copenhagen – Istanbul route, we are thrilled to strengthen the link between Scandinavia and Türkiye while continuing to develop our global hub in Copenhagen. Through our commitment to punctual and reliable service, we continue to connect Scandinavia to the world and the world to Scandinavia.”
Server Aydın, Chief Commercial Officer at Istanbul Airport, added: “We’re very pleased to welcome Scandinavia’s flag carrier, SAS, to iGA Istanbul Airport. This partnership represents an important milestone in our sustainable growth strategy and will further enhance the economic and cultural connections between the Nordic countries and Türkiye. Strengthening our ties with Northern Europe supports our vision for Istanbul as a dynamic global hub and a key meeting point for travellers from around the world.”
SAS sees strong capacity growth
SAS has 10.9 million seats scheduled in Q2 2026. Compared to the same three months last year, its offering has jumped by a remarkable 14%. It is its fourth-highest Q2 on record.
Some 5.3 million two-way seats are available to/from Copenhagen, which is overwhelmingly SAS’s most-served hub. It has over two million more seats than Stockholm ARN, which ranks second.
In recent times, SAS has increasingly focused on Copenhagen as its primary hub. This has never been more important. The airline is planning record capacity in the examined three months. Available seats have jumped by 26% compared to last year’s record, while they’re up by 40% compared to before the pandemic in 2019.
